DLA I know someone lying on form - advise pliz

tibawo

Thanks to all the constructive thoughts. It is not something I will make a rash decision over and did not want to talk to people close to me about as they know the child, and may give me a bias opinion. IYSWIM.

thegirlintheattic

Speak to your line manager before you do anything.

nad1611

cockaleekee wrote: »

The OP should report her concerns, explaining the context in which she has this information. Then it is for the DWP to decide what weight to give the report.

To suggest that the OP is not qualified to comment on the child's condition is pretty ignorant - it does not take a medical degree to state that the child is able to actively participate in PE lessons. She is stating fact, not giving a diagnosis.

I don't see how you can disagree with anything I've suggested. I suggested actually discussing it with the person involved and then make a decision.
It is not pretty ignorant to ask the question. I didn't say the op wasn't qualified I asked if they were, there's a vast difference. I wouldn't want anyone who wasn't medically qualified to make a huge judgement this way.
At the end of the day I simply adding a not of caution which is sound advise in a situation like this, it usually yields much better results for all involved.
And the op has decided to do just that.

cockaleekee

nad1611 wrote: »

I don't see how you can disagree with anything I've suggested. I suggested actually discussing it with the person involved and then make a decision.
It is not pretty ignorant to ask the question. I didn't say the op wasn't qualified I asked if they were, there's a vast difference. I wouldn't want anyone who wasn't medically qualified to make a huge judgement this way.
At the end of the day I simply adding a not of caution which is sound advise in a situation like this, it usually yields much better results for all involved.
And the op has decided to do just that.

They are not making a judgment, they are simply stating facts - "The child's mother states they are unable to walk more than 200m. I have regularly observed the child doing x, y and z." It is for the DWP to make the judgment as to whether these activities contradict the mother's statement.

Much of a child's DLA award relies on observation, not medical opinion. A clinician only has a brief snapshot of a claimant's life, and often relies on the word of the parent. This is exactly why the DWP asks for statements from others involved in the life of the child - to build a more realistic picture of their day to day activities.

BigAunty

Is it possible that this is a variable condition? On some days, the kid struggles to walk the distance or put on their own clothes? Although it's been criticised on this forum as a practice, some claimants are encouraged to write down the effects as if every action was taking place on a bad day, rather than saying 'on a bad day, xzy is not possible'. It's not that they are being intentionally fraudulent, just that they base everything on the worst scenario, perhaps have been told this is how they should complete the form.

I agree with the previous posters that you should consult with your line manager to say when you are not comfortable completing the form and why, and ask for guidance. Did your contribution contradict what the mother wrote?

princessdon

BigAunty wrote: »

Is it possible that this is a variable condition? On some days, the kid struggles to walk the distance or put on their own clothes? Although it's been criticised on this forum as a practice, some claimants are encouraged to write down the effects as if every action was taking place on a bad day, rather than saying 'on a bad day, xzy is not possible'. It's not that they are being intentionally fraudulent, just that they base everything on the worst scenario, perhaps have been told this is how they should complete the form.

I agree with the previous posters that you should consult with your line manager to say when you are not comfortable completing the form and why, and ask for guidance. Did your contribution contradict what the mother wrote?

In all honesty (benefits or not benefit related) it is often a school v home enviroment.

We see things like.

X cannot dress themselves, please do it for them. - They most certainly can dress themselves just at 4/5 years old takes longer than mum/dad would like.

They won't eat X or Y - Erm yes they do!

They can't walk long distances so can't do the trip - Erm yes they walked over 1 mile from the Metro just fine, thank you very much.

Even without the issue of benefits, parents will often underestimate their childrens capabilities, add benefits to the mix and it's a whole other issue.

That is why we "give chance for consideration" after our opinion. I'm not suggesting all are fraudulent, some just have a severe case of parent blinkers and not allowing child to develop.

joanne79

This is exactly how we where told to fill our form out by cab...base the whole form on your very worst days ...nothing about good days in there

tibawo

It did contradict in that it says does your child have a statement she has ticked no. This was just above where I fill in. Yet she does have a statement and the mum knows because she is at the annual review and gets a copy!

The bit about dressing in pe puzzles me as she has no support there.

I am aware of her limits at school, and feel she does need support but not in the depth suggested in the part I saw.

I kept mine factual on what I do for her.

princessdon

joanne79 wrote: »

This is exactly how we where told to fill our form out by cab...base the whole form on your very worst days ...nothing about good days in there

That is not good advice. It's best to be honest, anything else is not accurate and may be deemed fraudulent.

There is nothing wrong with saying on a good day x on a bad day Y. Out of 28 days I'd say 20 are good and 8 are bad.

for example only, but you get my drift.

princessdon

tibawo wrote: »

It did contradict in that it says does your child have a statement she has ticked no. This was just above where I fill in. Yet she does have a statement and the mum knows because she is at the annual review and gets a copy!

The bit about dressing in pe puzzles me as she has no support there.

I am aware of her limits at school, and feel she does need support but not in the depth suggested in the part I saw.

I kept mine factual on what I do for her.

Then surely you are aware as a practitioner that parents (especially those whose children have a disability) often underestimate their capabilities.

as per my first post, speak to school/line manager and get advice to protect yourself foremost.

Most schools I work with with then offer to provide a factual statement and then it's up to the parent if they include or send without this.